Logistic issues delay rollout of Congo’s mpox vaccine campaign

KINSHASA, Congo

The launch of a mpox vaccination campaign was postponed Wednesday in the Congo because of logistics issues, officials said Wednesday.

"There is necessary equipment for the transportation of the vaccine in different parts and the authorities are working hard to make sure that the vaccine arrives on time and the date will be announced," said Chris Kasita, director of the Department of Infection Prevention (PEV) in the Congo.

The Congo has experienced an influx of mpox cases as the number has reached 26,267 with 833 associated deaths since the beginning of 2024, according to statistics by the World Health Organization and Congo Health Ministry.

Despite the rising fear of additional infections, a new date for the start of the vaccination campaign has not been announced.

The campaign was to begin Wednesday in Kinshasa and the most-affected regions in eastern Congo, including North Kivu, the south and central areas.

The Congo has become the epicenter of the disease which is found in 14 countries in Africa including Burundi, Congo-Brazzaville and the Central African Republic, according to the head office of the African Union Centers for Disease Control (Africa CDC).

A total of 265,000 vaccines were received by the Congo last month fom the EU and the US, manufactured by the Danish Bavarian Nordic laboratory.